NAME

inetd − internet “super−server”

SYNOPSIS

/etc/inetd [ −d ] [ configuration file ]

DESCRIPTION

inetd should be run at boot time by /etc/rc. 

It then listens for connections on certain internet sockets.  When a connection is found on one of its sockets, it decides what service the socket corresponds to, and invokes a program to service the request.  After the program is finished, it continues to listen on the socket (except in some cases which will be described below).  Essentially, inetd allows running one daemon to invoke several others, reducing load on the system. 

Upon execution, inetd reads its configuration information from a configuration file which, by default, is /etc/inetd.conf(4).  inetd also reads its configuration information when it receives a hangup signal. 

inetd provides several “trivial” services internally by use of routines within itself.  These services are “echo”, “discard”, “chargen” (character generator), “daytime” (human readable time), and “time” (machine readable time, in the form of the number of seconds since midnight, January 1, 1900).  All of these services are tcp based.  For details of these services, consult the appropriate RFC from the Network Information Center. 

SEE ALSO

inetd.conf(4), ftpd(1M), rexecd(1M), rlogind(1M), rshd(1M), rwhod(1M), telnetd(1M), tftpd(1M)

BUGS

Internal services should not have to have their official name in the configuration file. 

CX/UX Networking